Fuse setter



F. E. COLE ETAL June 8, 1948.

FUS E SE'ITER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1946 Inventors Frank E Cole T/Vz'lliam IYGoodhue June 8, 1948. F. E. COLE EI'AL I 2,442,842

' FUSE SETTER Filed July 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors Fran/:E Cole June 8; 1948.

F. E. COLE El'AL FUSE SETTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3,

Filed July 15, 1946 nvenzors Fran/:ECoZe June 8, 1948. F. ELCOLE ETAL 2,442,842

FUSE SETTER Filed July 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A In V8 n10 rs Fran/cEC'oZe T ilZz'an z VGoodhue Patented .Fune 8, 1948 ETD STATES PATENT OFFICE FUSE SETTER Frank E. Cole, Manchester, and William V. Goodhue, Ipswich, Mass, assignors to United Shoe' Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 15, 1946, Serial No. 683,598

13 Claims. (Cl. 89-6) This invention relates to fuse-setting mechanisms and is herein illustrated as embodied in an arrangement which may readily be combined with a ramming device to enable the cycle of operations to be fast enough so that the device is of particular utility in the firing of explosive shells with time fuses in antiaircraft guns.

One recognized arrangement for setting the fuses of shells just prior to their delivery to a breech-loading gun disposes the fuse-setting mechanism at one side of the gun and arranges for the engagement of that mechanism with a shell which is carried then by the rammer to a position in alinement with the bore of the gun and into the gun. Frequently, such arrangements involve the mounting of the fuse-setting mechanism for sliding movement to bring it over the end of the shell and for subsequent retraction to leave the shell free for lateral movement into alinement with the gun bore.

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved fuse-setting mechanism of the type last described, in which the resetting of the mechanism after it has acted upon a shell is effected during the separation of the mechanism from the shell, so that it will be ready for use in a successive cycle. 7

A feature of the invention resides in a device for controlling a power mechanism whichreciprocates a casing containing the fuse-setting device. The arrangement is such that a power connection to retract the casing is rendered effective upon the completion of the fuse-setting o eration. Provision is also made for resetting this device during the retracting movement. As illustrated, the resetting i effected as a result of that movement by engagement of the device, for example, with a fixed cam positioned alongside the movable casing.

Still another feature of the invention is embodied in means for resetting the mechanisms which control the beginning and the extent of the fuse-setting movement. To this end, power means for setting the fuse is made to include a friction clutch controlled .by successive stops which start the operation and terminate it, and a fixed cam is provided and herein illustrated as associated with means for resetting the mechanisms which move these stops into and out of operative position.

Other features of the invention reside in an ejector to keep the shell from sticking in the devices which engage it and in self-alining couplings, for the fuse-engaging devices.

These and other features of the invention will 2 bestbe understood from consideration of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. -1 is a diagrammatic view of the working parts of a fuse setter embodying the present invention, the parts being shown in their initial or starting position;

Fig.2 is a diagram showing how power may be supplied to reciprocate the fuse setter;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the fuse setter;

Fig/l is a horizontal section through the fuse setter;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section; and

Fig, 6 is an exploded view of a wrap-spring clutch mechanism and associated control stops.

Inasmuch as this fuse setter is of the type which is moved into and out of engagement with a shell 10 (Fig. 1)' held in fixed position in a cradle C by means of a clamp II, the fuse-setter mechanism is mounted within a casing I2 hav ing a cover l3 (Fig.- 5), and the casing is arranged for lengthwise reciprocation in ways l4 and I5 which may be mounted upon a gun, if desired, by attaching these ways to the gun cradle. Reciprocatory movement of the fuse-setter casing is effected by power supplied from a motor I6 (Fig. 2) through a one-revolution clutch l1 and one-to-two reducing gears l8, l9, the larger gear' l9 acting as a crank for a pitman 2|] connected to the casing i2. This mechanism shifts the fuse-setter casing l2 from left to right or from right to left whenever a manual clutchcontrol handle 22 is moved to the right as viewed in Fig- 1; This control handle is connected to the clutch'fl through a flexible cable 24 and causesone revolution of the output shaft of the clutch and hence a half revolution of the larger gear l9, Whenever'actuated.

'The' initial movement of the casing l2 brings fuse-engaging mechanism contained within a neck 26 (Fig. 1), forming a part of the casing, over the pointed end of the shell In so that the latteris within the neck 26 in the position indicated in dotted'lines. This fuse-engaging mechanism includes three spaced pairs of sharpedged disks 30 which engage the body 3| of the shell and similarly spaced disks 42 which engage the rotatable fuse portion 34 of the shell, In view of the difliculty of clamping the shell exactly in a predetermined position, the sets of disks 30 and 42 are mounted for self-alining adjustment and both sets are axially yieldable. The outer disks 30 are held against rotation around the axis of the shell while the inner disks are 3 rotatable to turn the portion 34 to any desired setting.

To these ends, the outer disks 30 are carried indirectly by a sleeve 35 slidable in an enlarged portion of the neck 25 against a series of Belleville springs 35, This sleeve is prevented from rotating by lugs 31 thereon whichenter notches in an annular closure plate 38 (Fig. 3) held :on the casing by screws. The disks '30 are rotatably carried on pins supported by lugs on the outer of three rings 39, the innermost of which is joined to the sleeve 35 by a drive fit. outer rings are coupled to the innermost by opposed tongues 40 (Fig. 1) slidably entering notches in the adjacent ring. These ton ueand notch couplings are staggered by ninety degrees so as to form in efiect an Oldham coupling which renders the disks 30 self-alining and thus -.able to compensate for small variations in the position of the cradled shell. The outer peripheries of these rings are grooved to receive an elastic band i-I tending -to return the rings'to-alined positions. The other set of disks 42,401 engagement with the fuse-setting portion34 'of-the shell, are carried by agroup (firings-43 similarly interconnected by tongues M te one another and to a sleeve 54 and are surrounded by an elastic band 45. Associated with the opening in the closure plate 38 isa pivoted cover 46 (FigAl-which may be held shut by a latch 4-1 or may beheld openby a spring clip 58. The cover will be held in open position during use of the mechanism but may be closed during periods of "transportation or disuse thereof.

As the body 31 of the shell engages the disks the rotatable fuse-setting portion :34 of the shell engages the series of disks 42 carried by and rotatable with the sleeve 54 (Fig; 3) which slides in the neck 26. A reduced portion 56 of this sleeve overlies and fits'the fluted end 58 of a-fusesetting shaft 6%]. 'Within the sleeve, there is an ejector 62 in the form of a flanged cup which is pressed against the tip of the projectile by a preloaded spring '64 which abuts'the flange of the cup at the right end and a plate 66 at theleft end. This platerests against a plug'fil abutting the end of the shaft I59. The reduced end B of the sleeve E lis surroundedbyaspring 6'8, urgin the sleeve toward the projectileand, threaded on the sleeve, there is a collar ID, for apurpose to be later explained.

Power for the rotationofthe fuse-setter shaft 58 is delivered from avertical motor 12 through a flexible coupling I4 to. ashaft I5 carrying a worm E5. The latter engages a worm gear 'I fl'which is splined (Fig. 4) toahub ,80 mounted on-ball bearings within a suitable ,casingjBZ forming part of the cover la. The shaft L5 is similarly provided with bearings (Fig. 3) in anuprightcasmg PQrtion as. The power of the motor I2 is de'livered to the fuse-setter'shaft '60 through aninterposed wrap-spring clutch .90 which comprisesa hub .92, a surrounding wrap-spring 9. a ,casing 36 and an end plate 98. Onthisend plate is a stoplu Iilfi (Fig. 6) The end plate 98 is adjustably at- The two tached to thecasing 9,6, and the free'end'of the sprin 95 is, pinned to theleftend of the casing. The otherend of the spring which has 'a closure 5552 is connected to the shaft 6]] .by meansof ,a key in a keyway I64. On theother hand, thehub -70 S2 of the clutch is joined loy pins 1.0.6 to the worm stop lug I83 on the end plate 98 is held against .rotative movement, then, the spring 94 is loose upon the hub 92 and no driving action is efi'ected.

T9 prevent excessive Wear due to too much friction between the spring 94 and the hub 92 when no power is being transmitted, a clutch- ,releasing cam -I;I2 (Fig. 5) is bolted to a flanged collar I'I3 (Fig. l.) which is internally ribbed to secure it on the fluted end 58 of the fuse-setter ishaftsfiil and the cam is provided with a radial surface Il against which is pressed a roller I I6 carried by the mid-portion of a lever II8. This lever is moved toward the periphery of the cam by;a heavy spring I20 which is joined to a stud I22 carried by the casing I 4 and, when the fusesettershaft completes a whole revolution as it is being reset after it has done the desired work, the roller H6 will drop over the corner of the cam and, riding down the radial surface l-I-4,wil1 move the shaft and hence the closed end 102 pf the spring 94 clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 1) to a position which will fully release the clutch. The cam I i2"is so positioned with respect to the fusesetter-shaft 60 that the roller H6 comes' to the brink of the surface H t-just as-the'stoplug I 00 contaotsa zero stop I24 (Figs. 1 and 65 which is a segment larger than its supportingrod. The spring-I 26 isthen effective-to cause the roller I Hi, dropping down the radial surface IM to pushthe cam and hencethe fuse-settershaft a very small distance clockwise as viewed in Fig. 5

The wrap-around-spring clutch 9B is rendered eifective to drive the fuse-:setter shaft-as soon as engagement of the shell with the disks 42 has caused a slight endwise movement of the sleeve fi l thereby causing the collar "1 o to engage a roller 88-upon '9. depending portion of apivoted l atch I26 which is carried by a bracket 128(Figs. 3 and 4) supported upon the neck 26 of thecasing and is urged downwardly by a spring I21. This latch I25 when thus tilted up disengages itself from alug I29 on alever I30 (Figs. 1 and 3) normally pressedcounterclockwise about a supportin ,SDindle I32 by a spring I134 compressed between a bracket I33 and the head of a conined p un e 38 Wh he s is .fo d an oin d to a u w r ext ns on 1. 9 th late lee. .Qqa ne w a pi in he l pe end of h eve i a ,d ens ine ils one sl debl p at 4. mbo in a rack Mend n rmally held in engagement with the pin of the lever y ,a p n 1. .5- he th latch 1.2 S.. i gaged, the rack moves to a point where allig I45 th eo (F 3) hits a stop b ock .1! and in so m v t e ra turns a toothed segmen to a lug I54 on the inside of the casing [2 and at i o he e t a its .58 .O th .i 'merslirface o theothe sid f h :c s ne n thi bridge block. I52 are also guides for the rackplate I42. It will beevident from an inspection 9i Fig. 1 ,thatpartial rotatiflnpf the segment I58 5 by the rack I44 will carry the zero stop I24 to a position where it no longer engages the lug I and thus allows the end plate 98 of the clutch 90 to be rotated with the fuse-setter shaft 60.

The extent of rotation of the fuse-setter shaft is determined by the engagement of the lug I00 with a data pin I60 which is slidably mounted in a worm gear I62 for movement parallel to the axis of the gear, which meshes with a worm I64 (Fig. 4) upon a short shaft I66 parallel to the stop shaft I50 and capable of slight endwise movement as well as rotation in bearings in the block I52.- It is by rotation of this shaft I66 by means of a pinion I68 (Fig. l) engaging a gear I10 on the shaft that the setting of the fuse is determined. The rotation of this pinion I68 is effected automatically and continuously by means apart from the gun and usually including a director. The two short shafts I50 and I66 are interconnected by reason of the engagement with an intermediate gear I16 (Fig. 4) of racks I12 and I14 which are free to rotate upon the shafts. The gear I16 is freely rotatable upon a stud I18 carried by the bridge block I52 (Fig.

Upon completion of the fuse-setting movement of the shaft 60, the shock of the engagement of the lug I00 with the data pin I60 will cause a slight endwise movement to be imparted to the shaft I66 which will be suflicient to turn a lever I80 (Figs. 1 and 4) upon its upright pivot I8I and thus to rotate a latch I82 (Fig. 5), joined to the lever I80 and at a lower level. This movement of the latch will disengage it from a lug I82 on an upper arm I83 attached to a plungerbell-crank I 84 which is constantly urged to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed from above, by a spring I85 (Fig. 4) surrounding a plunger I81 which slides in a casing till it engages an adjustable stop I89 to limit the movement of the bell crank. This movement is also aided by a spring I86 attached to a fourth arm I88 on the lever. The rotation of the bell crank I84 is transmitted (Fig. 1) to a plunger I90 (in alinement with the spindle I32) which carries at its outer end a roll I92 brought by this action against an arm I94 (Fig. 4) attached to the stud I96 of the clutch-release lever 22. This will be effective to re-establish the clutch I1 interposed between the source of power and the pitman 20 so as to move the fuse setter casing I2 to the left away from the end of the shell I0. Any tendency of the knife disks 30 and 42 of the fuse setter to prevent separation of the two is overcome by the spring 64 behind the ejector 62. The compression of this spring is increased when, at the end of the initial movement of the casing toward the shell, the sleeve 54 slides along the plug 61.

The return movement of the casing to the left will be accompanied by a resetting of the fusesetter mechanism, ready for the next shell. Power for the resetting action will be provided by the engagement of a roll 200 with a track cam 202 (Figs. 1 and 5) supported upon the way I4 and by the engagement of the roller I92 of the plunger I00 with another track cam 204 supported within the way I5.

The roller 200 is mounted on a lever 206 (Figs. 1 and 3) pivoted in the side of the casing and positioned on the outer side thereof. This lever 206 has an extension 208 inside the casing joined by a link 2I0 to an arm '2I2 forming part of a sleeve 2I4 which is rotatable about the supporting rod I32 and is connected to a shipper 230 by an arm 222 and by an extension of the lever I30. The shipper 230 rides between the flanges of a spool 232 which is slidabl on the hub of the worm gear I62. The spool has arms 234 (Figs. 1 and 3) which support the data pin I60 and between them there is positioned a spring 236 engaging a shoulder of the data pin to press it toward the end plate 98 of the clutch. The resetting roll 200 is held against the track cam 202 by a spring 238 attached at its lower end to the bottom of the casing and at its upper end to a pin joining the lever arm 208 with the link 2I0'.

It follows, then, that the movement of the casing to the left as the resetting roll 200 rides up an incline 240 of the track cam 202 will cause a withdrawal of the data pin I60 and, through the lever I30 and the rack I44, will rotate the zero stop I24 into position for engagement by the lug I00 as the latter, released by the data pin, turns under the force of the Wrap-spring clutch to come back to its zero position. The thump which is imparted to the zero stop I24 by the lug 00 moves the stop shaft I50 slightly endwise and, through the action of the interconnecting gear I16, draws the parallel shaft I66 to the left, as Viewed in Fig. 1, so that the latch I82 is moved into position for reengagement with the lug I82 on the plunger-bell-crank I84. The plunger I90 has already been pushed back by reason of engagement of the plunger roll I92 with the de fleeting surface 242 upon the track cam 204. Inasmuch as the fuse-setting jaw-carrier sleeve 54 has already moved away from the shell, the spring 68 will have pushed the collar 10 back against the end of the neck 26, thus permitting the latch I26 to be pressed downwardly by its spring I 21, ready for engagement with the lu upon the lever I30 as the latter is pushed back against its spring I34 by the action of the resetting roll 200. It will be understood that the wrap-spring clutch 90 was opened upon engagement of the stop lug I00 with the zero stop I24 and that, consequently, the fuse-setter shaft 60 is at rest, ready for operation upon the next shell to be engaged.

In the operation of the device, assuming that a shell has been positioned in the cradle C, the operator will pull upon and then release the handle 22. This will cause the first sliding movement of the casing toward the shell to bring the disks 30 into engagement with a fixed portion of the shell and the disks 42 into engagement with the turnable portion 34. As this sliding movement terminates, the sleeve on which the inner disks 42 are mounted will trip the latch I26 and release the lever I30 to cause the zero stop I24 to be turned out of the way of the lug I90. A turning movement will then be imparted to the fuse portion 34 which will be terminated when the lug I00 hits the stop pin I60. It is then desired to separate the fuse setter from the shell as promptly as possible, and this is done by a second sliding movement of the casing which will be caused by releasing the plunger I90 and allowing it to fly out and hit the clutch-operating lever I04, the release of the plunger resulting from the slight endwise movement imparted to the worm shaft I66 and the consequent turning of the latch I80, I82.

During the return movement of the casing to its starting position, various mechanisms are reset, ready for the next operation. One of these is the plunger I90 which will be reset by engagement of the roller I92 with the inclined portion 242 of the track can'i 204. This plunger will be held in reset position by the latch I80, I82. An-

other resetting operation will be effected by enasement 9f the FQ L'EQQ. the traels cam. inclifit? W hl W ll Fi m the sle 2H eloe iwis as? ii i Fi l e?! mere he lever t!!! back t n i i el re-enea si by the lat h 12. h d a pin i l lse e with irawn. hus a1: lewine the 111g 9- to urn een unt l-it. hits the zero stop 52 1f The jar imparted b this movent will sh f h 'rae t en a in th sear 1 end ll'te ee et t e latch. it it when the movem ent of the casing back. to, its, a t n s tien is e net tea the s set er will e e s en a eady fe the ne t pe a ion.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to, secure by Letters Patent of the United States is V use-s tti ev e emeris s a ca movable with respect to a shell andhaving a e-s in device e eb v s r erteci by said casing and mounted also for; limited endw-ise en in he a n po e ag ment th re of with a fuse to be set, means for rotating said fuse e t Comprising a d en lvtehrererete i member, er st p m ans f renea s id member arran to e s n e th c ut h i hdraw able stoppin for determining the limit of fuses settinginovement ofv said member, and means nde ed e fe ti e by v se vem t Qt'the e= ett e de i e i dr aid. zereesten means andto start the fuse=setting operatio N n e m inet e vene t eshel hav s a use t be, t, a as mounte er ee et t d nd item s id-she s ort e es in me hani m, n aid ea i m an responsive to l engagement between. said mecha-. nism and, the shell for starting the fusesett ng v m and n end r d ep rativ at. tee e h 'ie e i e me ne t e merg s-tee casing tonwithdraw the fuse-settingechanism from the shell.

3,. In combination, a shell supportand a mocha. m. n lud n a ta a e fe etin dev s nted r at v m v ment of app e and separation, power-driven means for rotating; the fuse-setting device, a friction clutch interposed in ai r ta e n m ans n ve t v ene seme bet n. e useting d v and the he l q si aid e uteh t9 star h usesetting operation means for limiting the fuse setting m e e t a r n ed t o e sa d lu eh and means rendered operative in response to the'c ompletion of the fuse-setting operation for sin ele l e mov men 9? ev ratmn b t en. the use-s t e an sm andt e she 12:. port.

em a m a s e su p r d a methm in udin a ro ata e t ns e ice. vn e l Q elat ve m v m n of enn qaeh and e tiiit newer-dr en mean fe re a ine, he. fuse-setting device, a friction clutch interposed in id r a g me ns. means r s on iv te n.- em n e w en he. us -set in i iqe and. the hel er s n a cl t h s a t he inset ns o ra ion or im t n h use. in mo m n a re ed o Q en ai lu h. an rendere operat v respon e o t e c 32: i n o h s e t o e ti n or causi relative movement of separation between the e-sett n me han sm and. the sh l u port. and mean ctuated, duties ai e rat n mo n i r set sate lu ch-o era in means.

5. In combination, a shell support, a fuse: t n m chan sm in ludi a rotatable u e.- saeins device, said. uppo and. ai mes enism in mo nted to e ative. movement to. bring he mechan sm in o enga emen with he ell. a power mechanism. .for produ in said rela v tiv movement, hono es-liven means in ud a fri tion gluten for rotating said fuse=engaging device, a zero stop for holding said clutch open, means op rab e upon en a ement of'the devi e with the fuse to move aside the zero stop to. cause a fuse=setting movement, a settable member for limiting the extent ofthefuse-setting movement,

arran ed to. again open the clutch, and means operable upon completion of the fuseesetting movement, as determined by said settable means, for rendering effective the power mechanism to cause relative. separating movement between the fuse-setting mechanism and the shell support.

6,. In combination, a fuse-settingmechanism and a shell support mounted for relative move.-. ment of approach andseparation, power means for efiecting the relative movement, means to.

trigger a fuse-setting operation, spring-loaded means for starting separating movement between the fuse-setting mechanism and the shell sup-.

port, means rendered operative in response to the.

completion of the fuse=setting operation for re:

leasing said spring-loaded means to cause said.

separating movement, andcam meansfor resetting said springeloaded means.

7. In combination, a slidably supported casing containinga fuse-setting mechanism, manually,

controlled power means .for. sliding the casing to bring the fuse-setting mechanism .into. engage.- ment with a shell and causing a fuse=setting operation, means rendered operative in response.

to the completion of the fuse-setting operation for again causinga sliding movement of the casing to separate the .fuse setter and the shell, and a cam relatively fixed with respect to. thecasing for resetting the latter means during a return movement of the casing.

8. In combination, a shell support, a slidably mounted casing having a fUSBrSGt/Blfig mechanism therein, power means for reciprocating the casing having a clutch arranged upon each operation tov cause, a OIlErWfiY movementof the casing, spring-. loaded means to causeone of the clutch opera.- tions, means rendered operativein response. to

the, completion of thefuseesettmg operation for. releasingsaid spr-mgsloaded-imeans, and a cam,

fixed; beside the casin for resetting said springioaded device.

9. In combination, a, shell support, a slidably mounted casing having a fuse=setting mechanism,

therein, power means forreciprocating the casing having a clutch arran ed up n succ s i e peras.

tion o cause a oneewa ea mov m n f a pr ch or r urn, s t ah e m ans or sta tin fuse=setting operation, and a cam fixed beside the casing for resetting said settable means upon return movement of the casing.

10. In combina ion, a, shell. supp rt, a slidabl mounted casing having a fuse-se tin mechanism therein, power m n forimp rtin movem n s of approach and return to the casing, said fu se setting mechanism including a withdrawable stop for limiting the extent, of the fuseesettingmovement, a friction clutch in the fuseesetting mechaspring acting on said ejector, and means responsive to the completion of the relative movement between the shell and the fuse-engaging device for increasing the loading on said spring.

12. In a fuse-setting mechanism, successive rings adapted to surround the fixed and fuse portions of a shell presented to the mechanism, at least three shell-engaging devices upon each of said rings, means for rotating one of said rings to effect a fuse-setting operation, means for holding the other ring against rotative movement, an-

nular supports for said rings, and self-alining 10 cause them to be self-alining.

FRANK E. COLE. WILLIAM V. GOODHUE. 

